Al-Qawa'id al-Nuraniyya - Ibn Taimiya - (163)

Al-Qawa'id al-NuraniyyaIbn Taimiya

It is well known that the Lawgiver laid down no specific definition for sale, lease, gift, and the like, whether in the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His Messenger. Nor is it reported that any of the Companions or Followers prescribed for contracts a particular form [consisting] of words or anything else, or said anything implying that they are concluded only through specific formulas. Indeed, it has been said that this view contradicts the early consensus and is an innovation. Nor is there any definition of this in the Arabic language whereby it could be said that Arabic speakers call one transaction a sale but do not call another a sale, so that one is included within the scope of Allah’s discourse while the other is not. Rather, the fact that Arabs, according to their customary usage, call these contractual dealings sales proves that they are called sales in their language. The presumption is that linguistic usage remains in force and is affirmed, not transferred or altered. Thus, when something has no definition in either the Sharia or the language, the reference is to people’s customs and practices: whatever they call a sale is a sale, and whatever they call a gift is a gift.

The third consideration is that people’s conduct, whether in word or deed, is of two kinds: acts of worship by which their religion is set aright, and customary practices that they need in their worldly lives. By examining the foundational principles of the Sharia, we know that acts of worship which Allah has made obligatory or commended cannot be established as prescribed except through the Sharia.

As for customary practices, they are what people habitually do in their worldly lives to meet their needs. The basic rule concerning them is that they are not prohibited; nothing among them is prohibited except what Allah—Glorified and Exalted is He—has prohibited. This is because commands and prohibitions constitute Allah’s revealed law, while an act of worship must necessarily be commanded. Thus, when something has not been established as commanded, how can it be ruled to be

وَمَعْلُومٌ أَنَّ الْبَيْعَ وَالْإِجَارَةَ وَالْهِبَةَ وَنَحْوَهَا لَمْ يَحُدَّ الشَّارِعُ لَهَا حَدًّا، لَا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَلَا سُنَّةِ رَسُولِهِ، وَلَا نُقِلَ عَنْ أَحَدٍ مِنَ الصَّحَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ أَنَّهُ عَيَّنَ لِلْعُقُودِ صِفَةً مُعَيَّنَةً [مِنَ] الْأَلْفَاظِ أَوْ غَيْرِهَا، أَوْ قَالَ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَنَّهَا لَا تَنْعَقِدُ إِلَّا بِالصِّيَغِ الْخَاصَّةِ، بَلْ قَدْ قِيلَ: إِنَّ هَذَا الْقَوْلَ مِمَّا يُخَالِفُ الْإِجْمَاعَ الْقَدِيمَ، وَأَنَّهُ مِنَ الْبِدَعِ، وَلَيْسَ لِذَلِكَ حَدٌّ فِي لُغَةِ الْعَرَبِ، بِحَيْثُ يُقَالُ: إِنَّ أَهْلَ اللُّغَةِ يُسَمُّونَ هَذَا بَيْعًا وَلَا يُسَمُّونَ هَذَا بَيْعًا، حَتَّى يُدْخِلَ أَحَدَهُمَا فِي خِطَابِ اللَّهِ وَلَا يُدْخِلَ الْآخَرَ، بَلْ تَسْمِيَةُ أَهْلِ الْعُرْفِ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ هَذِهِ الْمُعَاقَدَاتِ بَيْعًا: دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أَنَّهَا فِي لُغَتِهِمْ تُسَمَّى بَيْعًا، وَالْأَصْلُ بَقَاءُ اللُّغَةِ وَتَقْرِيرُهَا لَا نَقْلُهَا وَتَغْيِيرُهَا، فَإِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ حَدٌّ فِي الشَّرْعِ وَلَا فِي اللُّغَةِ كَانَ الْمَرْجِعُ فِيهِ إِلَى عُرْفِ النَّاسِ وَعَادَاتِهِمْ، فَمَا سَمَّوْهُ بَيْعًا فَهُوَ بَيْعٌ، وَمَا سَمَّوْهُ هِبَةً فَهُوَ هِبَةٌ. الْوَجْهُ الثَّالِثُ: أَنَّ تَصَرُّفَاتِ الْعِبَادِ مِنَ الْأَقْوَالِ وَالْأَفْعَالِ نَوْعَانِ: عِبَادَاتٌ يَصْلُحُ بِهَا دِينُهُمْ، وَعَادَاتٌ يَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَيْهَا فِي دُنْيَاهُمْ، فَبِاسْتِقْرَاءِ أُصُولِ الشَّرِيعَةِ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الْعِبَادَاتِ الَّتِي أَوْجَبَهَا اللَّهُ أَوْ أَحَبَّهَا لَا يَثْبُتُ الْأَمْرُ بِهَا إِلَّا بِالشَّرْعِ. وَأَمَّا الْعَادَاتُ فَهِيَ مَا اعْتَادَهُ النَّاسُ فِي دُنْيَاهُمْ مِمَّا يَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَيْهِ، وَالْأَصْلُ فِيهِ عَدَمُ الْحَظْرِ، فَلَا يُحْظَرُ مِنْهُ إِلَّا مَا حَظَرَهُ اللَّهُ ﷾. وَذَلِكَ؛ لِأَنَّ الْأَمْرَ وَالنَّهْيَ هُمَا شَرْعُ اللَّهِ، وَالْعِبَادَةُ لَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَأْمُورًا بِهَا، فَمَا لَمْ يَثْبُتْ أَنَّهُ مَأْمُورٌ بِهِ كَيْفَ يُحْكَمُ عَلَيْهِ بِأَنَّهُ